'We border Tibet, not China': Arunachal CM challenges Beijing’s Arunachal claims

New Delhi, July 9: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has asserted that India shares a border with Tibet — not China — in a pointed remark that subtly challenges Beijing’s narrative on the region.

In an interview with PTI on Wednesday, Khandu interrupted a reference to Arunachal sharing a 1,200-km border with China, saying, "Let me correct you here. We share a border with Tibet, not China."

"Officially, Tibet is under China now. That can't be ruled out. But originally, we share a border with Tibet. And in Arunachal Pradesh, we share three international boundaries -- with Bhutan, approximately 150 km, with Tibet, around 1,200 km, which is one of the longest in the country, and on the eastern side, with Myanmar, around 550 km," he said.

Khandu explained that no Indian state directly shares a border with China, but rather with Tibet, which was forcibly occupied by China in the 1950s.

The Chief Minister highlighted that historical facts support India's claim over the region, citing the 1914 Shimla Convention.

This convention, attended by representatives of British India, China, and Tibet, defined the border between India and Tibet.

China has repeatedly attempted to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, with the most recent being the fifth such instance.

"I think the last time they renamed many places in Arunachal... if I am not mistaken, I think this was their fifth attempt in total. So, it is not surprising for us. We know China's habit, and I think officially the MEA has dealt with it and has given them a reply," he said.

The defence against China’s ‘water bomb’

The Chief Minister also acknowledged that China's mega dam being built near the Arunachal Pradesh border will be a ticking "water bomb", an existential threat and a bigger issue than anything else apart from the military threat.

Khandu said the world's largest dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra, is a matter of grave concern as China is not a signatory to the international water treaty that could have forced it to abide by international norms.

"The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do," said Khandu.

Khandu said that because of this, after discussions with the Government of India, the Arunachal Pradesh government has conceived a project called the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, which will serve as a defence mechanism and ensure water security.

For India's water security, he said, if the government can complete its own project as planned, it will be able to meet the water requirements from its own dam.

“In the future, if China releases water, there will definitely be flooding, but it can be controlled,” he said.

For this reason, Khandu said, the state government is holding discussions with the local Adi tribes and others in the area.

PTI